In the manufacture of cheese, it is important to control the process so as to yield as much cheese as possible from the milk. One of the obvious advantages derived from the increased yield is the lower cost for the manufacture of the cheese. Obviously, the more cheese derived from the raw material, the less expensive it is to manufacture the cheese.
Another advantage gained from increased yield relates to the disposal of the whey which is left after the cheese is formed. This byproduct is one for which few uses have been found and therefore is frequently disposed of through the sewage waste system. With increased yield from the milk, less whey is formed with a resulting reduction in pollution to our environment.
Whey is the serum or watery part of milk that separates from the curds in the process of making cheese. It is the largest byproduct of the huge dairy industry and is one of the most troublesome byproducts produced by any industry to the extent that it is now having considerable impact on economic and environmental affairs. The unused organic nutrients make whey a costly pollutant in the nation's sewage systems and waterways. Biological oxyen demand (BOD) values for cottage cheese wheys range from 30,000 to 45,000 milligrams per liter. A load of 1,000 gallons of raw whey discharged into a sewage treatment plant has been calculated to equal the load normally imposed by 1,800 people. Because BOD removal is usually not completed in the sewage treatment plants, this hugely oxygen-demanding effluent is partially passed into rivers and streams. Every 1,000 gallons of raw whey discharged into a stream requires the dissolved oxygen in over 4,500,000 gallons of water for its oxidation. Obviously, disposing of whey direction into a water system is very detrimental of the environment.
Whey can be processed by spray or roller-drying and by using membrane technology. Other methods of handling whey involve using it as animal food or fertilizer, but these processes have not been successful at this time.
It is the purpose of the present invention to increase the yield of cheese from milk and thereby reduce the amount of whey waste while not adversely affecting the taste and edibility of the cheese.